Texas Rangers Are Arguably Biggest Major Boom-or-Bust Team Entering Spring Training

The Texas Rangers have wide-ranging possible outcomes for the 2025 season.

Sep 13, 2024; Seattle, Washington, USA; Texas Rangers starting pitcher Jacob deGrom (48) walks off the field during a game against the Seattle Mariners at T-Mobile Park. | Stephen Brashear-Imagn Images

The Texas Rangers reached the top of the baseball mountain in 2023 when they defeated the Arizona Diamondbacks in the World Series.

Unfortunately, they were not on top for long.

They didn’t even have a chance to defend their title in 2024 as they were among the most disappointing teams in baseball this past year. With only 78 regular-season victories, they didn’t qualify for the playoffs.

Injuries played a huge part in the underwhelming performance on the field as key contributors were in and out of the lineup throughout.

On the mound, they had to overcome a lot of adversity.

Andrew Heaney and Nathan Eovaldi were the only players to start at least 20 games, making 31 and 29 respectively. High-priced veterans Jacob deGrom and Max Scherzer managed to make only three and nine starts apiece.

With Heaney and Scherzer both free agents still, there will be a lot of pressure on deGrom to return to form along with Tyler Mahle, who managed to make only nine starts himself last campaign as well.

Youngsters Kumar Rocker and Jack Leiter, very high first-round picks in recent drafts, could factor into the mix in the starting rotation as well.

How that group gels, along with an almost entirely new bullpen, will be a major determining factor in how much success the Rangers have in 2025.

“The starting rotation is relying heavily on a healthy season from Jacob deGrom, while there are five new faces in the projected eight-man bullpen following a mass exodus in free agency. There's a wide range of potential outcomes here,” wrote Joel Reuter of Bleacher Report.

Kirby Yates, David Robertson and Andrew Chafin headline the group of bullpen arms that hit free agency this winter. That is a lot of experience, especially late in the game, that departed as the new crop of relievers is lacking when it comes to performing in high-leverage situations.

The current pitching situation is all that is holding Texas back from being regarded as one of the true contenders in the American League.

With the additions of corner infielder Jake Burger, who will be replacing Nathaniel Lowe at first base, and Joc Pederson, the team addressed their need to infuse power into the lineup. As Reuter noted, they have one of the deepest lineups in baseball entering Spring Training.

Scoring runs will not be an issue. 

Will they receive enough production on the mound, is the biggest question mark they have, which is why the MLB expert has placed them at No. 14 in the MLB Power Rankings just four weeks out from camp opening.